Download bacteriophage (syn. phage, bacterial virus, φ) n. virion n. virulent vs

bacteriophage (syn. phage, bacterial virus, φ) n.
A virus that infects host cells in the Domain Bacteria.
virion n.
The virus particle as it exists outside an infected host cell. Phage virions typically consist of
a protein capsid containing a nucleic acid genome.
virulent vs temperate adj.
Modify the noun bacteriophage. The 3 phage we used earlier, T1, T4, and MS2, are all
virulent.
lytic vs lysogenic adj.
Modify the noun infection.
lysogen n.
A bacterial cell (or strain) containing the genome of a temperate bacteriophage. (As in "The
original E. coli K12 isolate was a Lambda (λ) lysogen.)
lysogeny n.
The process of establishing a lysogen. (Lysogenize is the cognate verb.)
prophage n.
The genome of a temperate bacterial virus as it exists in a lysogen. In most cases, the
prophage is fused with (incorporated in) the host cell genome. The P1 prophage exists in the
lysogen as a separate circular DNA (indistinguishable in physical form from a plasmid).
phage conversion (syn. lysogenic conversion) n.
An alteration of the host cell phenotype due to expression of a gene or genes encoded in a
prophage. Phage conversion is responsible for the virulence of several important human
pathogens (cholera, diptheria, botulism). Do not confuse phage conversion with transduction.
transduction n.
Horizontal gene transfer mediated by bacteriophages.
generalized transduction vs specialized transduction n.
The mechanisms of generalized vs specialized transduction are profoundly different in most
respects. Only temperate phages, like λ are capable of specialized transduction. Both
virulent and temperate phages may carry out generalized transduction. I am not aware that
any RNA phage can carry out transduction.
Our experiments involve construction of a phage P1 lysogen to demonstrate phage conversion,
followed by P1-mediated generalized transduction.